Traverse rod



2,790,558 TRAVERSE ROD H S. Rosenbaum Baltimore Md., assignor to The lil a s tern Venetian lilind Company, Baltimore, Md, a corporation of Maryland Application January 26, 1955, Serial No. 484,240

4 Claims. (Cl. 211-1052) The present invention relates to a traverse rod. More particularly, the present invention relates to a traverse rod foruse in drapery installations wherein the rod maybe curved to a predetermined configuration.

Drapery traverse rods are generally formed in one piece units or include telescoping members thataremovable to a desired length. Prior to the instant invention, if it was required to install a curved rod in a room which, for example, included a bay window, the rod had to be preshaped by using a forming jig. If a special configuration was necessary to fit the window, it was sometimes required to preform the rod at the factory but only after exact measurements were taken and calculated. This procedure was not only time-consuming and expensive, but frequently the preformed rod did not' accurately fit the window or installation and further measurements and calculations were then necessary to obtain the correct curvature of the rod.

It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide a traverse rod that may be formed in a desired configuration at the point of installation and without special tools.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a drapery traverse rod that is capable of being bent to effect a curved configuration.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a drapery traverse rod that is formed with a plurality of spaced laterally extending slots, the formation of the slots enabling the rod to be bent to the desired shape.

Still another object of the present invention is to pro vide a traverse rod for use in drapery installations wherein the walls of the rod are slotted at intervals, thereby giving the rod sufiicient flexibility to be shaped in a curved configuration.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a laterally slotted traverse rod in which stiifening members are inserted to add rigidity to the rod.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a traverse rod for use in drapery installations in which an elongated stitfening member is inserted into the interior of the rod to add rigidity thereto.

Other objects and the nature and advantages of the instant invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a plan view of one form of the drapery traverse rod embodied herein showing the rod after it has been installed and bent to a curved configuration;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the rod illustrated in Fig. l with a portion of the body thereof shown broken away;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a modified form of the drapery rod; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

United States Patent 2,790,558 Patented Apr. 30, 1957 Referring now to the drawings, and particularly Figs. 1-3, one form of the present invention is illustrated and includes a traverse rod generally indicated at 10. The traverse rod 10, as shown in Fig. 1, includes end brackets 12 which are secured to a frame 14 of a door, window or the like, in any convenient manner. As shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, the traverse rod 10 comprises a front wall 16, a bottom wall 18 integrally joined thereto and a top wall 20. The top wall 20 has a dependingportion 22 formed integral therewith and extending upwardly from the bottom wall 18 is an upstanding portion 24, the portions 22 and 24 forming the rearwall of the traverse rod lit) and being spaced to define an opening 26 therebetween. The traverse rod 10 is adapted to receive rollers therein, one of which is illustrated at 28 in Fig. 3. A shaft 30 is secured to the roller 28 and extends outwardly from the traverse rod 10 and through the opening 26. A member 32 depends from the shaft 30 and receives a drapery hook therein in the conventional manner, the

drapery hook, in turn, being secured to a drapery (not shown).

The traverse rod 19 is adapted to beinstalled in a curved position (Fig. l) and, for this purpose, the bottom wall 18, the front wall 16 and the top wall 20 are'formed with a plurality of laterally extending spaced slots 34.

to weaken it, thereby reducing the structural stability thereof. Thus, if a curtain or drapery were suspendedfrom the traverse red, the rod would tend to sag under the load. In order to stiffen the traverse rod for carryirig heavy loads, a stiffening ribbon-like member 36 is inserted into the interior of the rod adjacent the slots 34. As shown in Fig. 3, the top wall 20 is formed with an inwardly extending rib 38 and thebottom wall 18 is formed with' a similar inwardly extending rib. 40, the ribs 38 and 40 being'spaced from the front wall 16 and defininggrooves 42 therebetween. ber 36 is adapted to be inserted into the grooves 42 contacting the front wall 16 in flush engagement therewith and thereby acting to add rigidity to the traverse.

rod in the vertical plane. Since the stitfening member 36 is formed in a ribbon-like shape, it may be easily curved in a horizontal plane and thus does not prevent the traverse rod from being curved to the desired arcuate configuration. In practice, the traverse rod 10 is formed in a particular length or telescopically cooperates with a similar rod to be adjusted as desired. The slots 34 are formed in the rod and the stiffening member 36 inserted in the grooves 42 formed in the interior of the rod. It is seen that the rod may easily be installed by simply securing the brackets 12 to a suitable fixture, the rod being bent to the desired configuration.

Referring now to Figs. 4 and 5, a modified form of the invention is illustrated and comprises a traverse rod generally indicated at 50. The traverse rod 50 includes a top wall 52 which has a longitudinally extending rib 54 formed intermediate the lateral ends thereof, side walls 56 and 58 being formed integral with the top wall 52. Spaced bottom walls 60, 62 are formed integral with the side walls 56 and 58, respectively, and define a longitudinally extending opening 64 therebetween. The edges of the spaced bottom walls 60, 62 are rolled over to define reinforced sections 65, 66. The traverse rod 10 is adapted The stiffening memto receive a double roller type of drapery suspension memberwhich is indicated at 67 in Fig.5. Depending from the double roller through the opening 64 is a memher-68 which is adapted to receive a drapery hook (not shown),.the drapery hook, in turn, being attached to a drapery. It is seen that the double roller 67. rides along the rolled edges 65, 66 of the spaced bottom walls 60, 62 and carries the associated drapery therewith.

In order to provide for the bending of the traverse rod 50, the bottom walls 60, 62, side walls 56, 58 and top wall 52 are formed with a series of laterally extending spaced slots '70. As shown, particularly in Fig. 4, the slots 70 extend from the rolled edges 65, 66 of the bottom walls 60, 62 through the side walls 56, 58 and through the top wall 52, terminating at the longitudinally extending rib 54. It is seen that by forming the traverse rod '50 with the slots 70, the rod will be sufiiciently flexible to bend to a desired configuration. However, due to the formation of the slots 70 in the wall structure of the rod, the rod may not be sutficiently stable to withstand loads, such as a depending drapery. For the purpose of providing rigidity in a vertical plane, the side walls 56, 58 and associated bottom walls and top Wall are formed with projections 72, 74 and 76, 78, these projections defining grooves 80 and 82 (Fig. which are adapted to receive ribbon-like members 84 and 86, respectively. Since the ribbon-like members 84, 86 are easily bendable in a horizontal plane, the traverse rod 50 may be formed in a desired configuration. However, sufficient rigidity is maintained in the traverse rod to support the draperies depending therefrom.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and therefore the invention is not limited to what is shown in the drawings and described in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drapery installation, an elongated traverse rod comprising a channel construction of substantially rectangular cross section having a longitudinal opening formed in one wall thereof, said longitudinal opening defining a trackway for receiving traverse rollers therein, spaced connecting transverse slots extending through at least. three of the walls of said channel construction and providing for bending of said rod, inwardly er-tending ribs formed in the top and bottom walls of said channel construction, said ribs defining grooves with the adjacent side wall, a ribbon-like stiffening member slidably received in said grooves, said ribbon-like stiffening member being being defined by a top wall, a bottom Wall and a side wall, said walls having spaced connecting slots formed therein extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of said rod, said slots providing for bending of said rod to a predetermined position, said top and bottom walls being formed with grooves adjacent said side wall, and a rib hon-like stiifening member positioned in said grooves and slidable with respect to said side wall, said ribbon-like member adding rigidity to said traverse rod, thereby providing for the support of loads therefrom.

3. In a drapery installation as set forth in claim 2, wherein said channel construction includes a second side wall and grooves formed in said top and bot-tom walls adjacent said second side wall, and a second ribbon-like stiffening member slidably positioned in said last-named grooves foradding rigidity to said traverse rod.

4. Ina drapery installation, an elongated traverse rod comprising a channel construction which includes a top wall, a bottom wall and a side wall, said walls being formed with spaced connecting transverse slots, said slots providing for bending of said rod to a predetermined position, opposed grooves formed between said top wall and side wall and said bottom wall and side wall, and a ribhon-like stiffening member positioned in said grooves in face contact with said side wall and slidable with respect thereto, said ribbon-like stiffening member adding rigidity to said traverse rod, thereby providing for the support of loads therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 523,009 Riddell July 17, 1894 2,253,219 Alexander Aug. 19, 1941 2,600,670 Mininm June 17, 1952 2,619,375 Merrill Nov. 25, 1952 2,650,714 Brose et al. Sept. 1, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 27,979 Austria Mar. 26, 1907 

